Blizzard’s Epic College Esports Clash is Back! Students Battle for Tuition in Heroes of the Dorm™ 2016

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Follow the action live on ESPN networks, fill out brackets on
HeroesoftheDorm.com, and win big

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Student gamers across the United States and Canada are hereby invited to
storm the Nexus as proud representatives of their schools in Blizzard
Entertainment and Tespa’s 2016 Heroes of the Dorm™ competition!
Featuring Blizzard’s acclaimed online team brawler Heroes of the Storm™,
Heroes of the Dorm is the ultimate collegiate esports tournament,
bringing together gamers from colleges and universities coast-to-coast
in a celebration of teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendly
competition—with members of the winning team earning free tuition for
the rest of their college career! Eligible students can create or join a
team today by heading to www.heroesofthedorm.com.

Esports fans will be able to follow the action on ESPN networks, who
will once again deliver live coverage of the events on television and
digital platforms—including early rounds on ESPN3 and the Heroic Four
and Grand Finals telecast on ESPN2. Viewers will also have a chance to
cheer on their favorite schools and win prizes of their own in the
Heroes of the Dorm bracket challenge, which kicks off in the weeks
ahead. Altogether, more than $500,000 in tuition and other prizes
is on the line as part of this year’s event.

“Last year’s Heroes of the Dorm was an amazing experience for the
students playing and everyone watching, and we’re excited to again offer
college athletes an epic opportunity to team up and compete for
scholarships in 2016,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard
Entertainment. “It’s inspiring to see players from last year’s
championship team, the UC Berkeley Golden Bears, now thriving in pro
esports careers—we look forward to seeing how this year’s competitors
shape the future of competitive gaming.”

Makin’ It Rain Tuition Money (and More)

When the Grand Finals conclude and the 2016 Heroes of the Dorm champion
is crowned, each player on the winning team will walk away with up to
$75,000 in tuition for their college career. Students interested in
playing in this year’s tournament should get their teams together
quickly—registration is open now through February 18, with online
qualifiers taking place between February 20 and March 6. To create or
join a team, or to find complete official rules, eligibility details,
and prizing details, visit www.heroesofthedorm.com.

Watch Live on ESPN Networks

The inaugural Heroes of the Dorm tournament in 2015 marked the first
time in history that a collegiate esports event was telecast live on
ESPN2. Teams from more than 460 schools battled through grueling
elimination rounds on a quest to claim the championship. All the intense
action of this year’s Heroes of the Dorm competition, starting with the
Round of 64, will be available for viewing, live on digital platforms
and on television, through a renewed agreement with ESPN. The Round of
64, Round of 32, Round of 16, and Round of 8 portions of the tournament
will be streamed live on ESPN3 across digital platforms and also on
Twitch and YouTube™, and the “Heroic Four” and Grand Finals
showdown will take place in front of a live audience and will be aired
on ESPN2 on April 9 and 10—be sure to watch live, because this is an
esports event you won’t want to miss!

Tournament Stage

Date

Where to Watch Live

Round of 64

March 19

ESPN3, Twitch, YouTube

Round of 32

March 20

ESPN3, Twitch, YouTube

Round of 16

March 26

ESPN3, Twitch, YouTube

Round of 8

March 27

ESPN3, Twitch, YouTube

Heroic Four

April 9

ESPN2

Grand Finals

April 10

ESPN2

ESPN coverage of the event will also be available online at
WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and
streamed on televisions through connected devices. Additional
programming details, including when you can watch VODs on YouTube of any
matches you may have missed, will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Play the Heroes of the Dorm Bracket Challenge

Even if you’re not a college student, you’ll still be able to show your
school spirit—and compete for a shot at winning some great prizes in the
process—by participating in this year’s Heroes of the Dorm bracket
challenge. The bracket challenge invites esports fans around the world
to predict which of the top 64 teams will emerge victorious, and then
share their brackets with friends and rivals, with $10,000 USD going to
the most accurate bracket. More information on this year’s bracket
challenge, including rules and complete prizing information, will be
announced closer to the start of the Round of 64.

Heroes of the Storm brings together a diverse cast of iconic
characters from Blizzard’s far-flung realms of science fiction and
fantasy, including the Warcraft®, StarCraft®,
and Diablo® universes, and challenges them to compete
in epic, adrenaline-charged battles. To learn more about Heroes of
the Storm, head over to the official website at www.heroesofthestorm.com.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous
positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com
for more information and to learn how to apply.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and
the Warcraft®, StarCraft®,
and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s
track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is
one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.

About Tespa

Tespa is the premier college gaming network in North America, dedicated
to creating a home for gamers on every campus. Recognized as the leader
in collegiate gaming, Tespa cultivates student communities that host
epic gaming events on campuses in the United States and Canada, and
plans to distribute over $650,000 in scholarship prizing in 2016. To
date, Tespa has had students from over 1200 universities compete in its
college tournaments and has empowered student leaders to become
entrepreneurs in the gaming industry.

About ESPN and esports

ESPN has a long history of delivering live programming, coverage and
content to esports fans. In January 2016, ESPN.com officially launched
an esports
vertical offering comprehensive coverage surrounding the world of
competitive gaming. Prior to that, ESPN3 carried live coverage
of BlizzCon and The International Dota 2 Championships over the past two
years as well as the 2014 League of Legends tournament. The network also
previously delivered exclusive live coverage of Heroes of the Dorm, with
the final airing live on ESPN2 – the first ever live, televised coverage
of a collegiate esports event for ESPN. Additionally, ESPN
The Magazine debuted its first-ever esports
Issue in May featuring profiles on gaming superstars including Faker,
a behind-the-scenes look at MLG’s
Dota 2 tournament and a cover story on Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn
Lynch creating his own Call of Duty character.